Category Archives: At Home CEO

How often have you heard a husband, friend, family member or anyone else say, “She doesn’t work.” in reference to a woman/wife/mom who “stays at home”? Hey, you may have even said it about someone else or yourself. I know I did. Notice the past tense there….”I did”. I don’t any longer. Do you wanna know why? Because women who are “at home” do work. I mean….they really work. And not just 9-5. They just don’t draw a paycheck from an outside source or get paid nearly enough for all the work they do.

I learned many years ago that having a job outside the home with a regular paycheck is not what defines me. No more than being a wife, mother, home educator, ministry leader, writer, professional cosmetics formulator and hand producer or an entrepreneur defines me. Those are not WHO I am. They are not even WHAT I am. They are roles I fill. I just happen to do all of them at home because I choose to.

This is the entire premise of “At Home Woman”. When the idea came to me (no doubt inspired by God) to start At Home Woman, it was because I kept getting asked “Do you work?”, “What do you do?” and a plether of other questions and comments about working, having a job or a career. It seems someone was consistently trying to pin a label on me as a “SAHM/SAHW”, a “WAHM/WAHW” or some other term of the hour. And 9 times out of 10, it was usually implied that I had less value and didn’t “work” because I didn’t have “a job” outside the home. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was none of those trendy titles and yet I was all of them…and then some. I just knew there were probably others out there just like me who were working from early morning to late at night at home, filling more roles than they could count most days. And many of them were likely feeling just like me…unappreciated, under-valued and unsupported in what they do and why they do it.

So, At Home Woman was born in a matter of about 8 hours, from original concept to social media community to this blog and beyond, AHW became a safe haven for those of us who fill the many roles set before us and do so by choice. With it came the deep desire to connect with other women filling the roles in life from an at home setting, to support and encourage one another, share our faith and struggles and to be real with one another about the challenges we face and the successes we enjoy every day.

This last September, AHW turned 3 years old. It’s been an interesting experience to say the least. We haven’t grown a lot in numbers since that first year, but we have seen support from many all across the USA and from a few surprising sources. One thing has become very evident. Many are realizing that without those of us who “DON’T WORK”, there would be very little getting done that makes life enjoyable and comfortable and that life as many know it would cease to exist. I’m not exaggerating here.

So give yourself a pat on the back, at home woman. Treat yourself to a nice relaxing bubble bath and a piece of decadent chocolate. Rejoice in knowing you are more needed than you ever imagined and more valuable than gold, silver or fine jewels. God has called you to a higher purpose than just having a job. He’s called you to be an at home woman doing the work that others can’t or won’t do. He’s called you to nurture and be a catalyst for the present and the future. Because it is in those roles and doing those jobs that lives, families, homes and communities are being impacted and changed. YOU, my dear, are working for a greater purpose. You are working for the kingdom of God. And it shows.